How many people know that one can switch operators in Bangladesh without losing one’s mobile number? Not many.

Introduced in 2018 with great expectations, the mobile number portability (MNP) service has fallen by the wayside due to a combination of regulatory indifference, high switching costs, operator resistance, and a lack of awareness.

In more than 115 countries, including neighbouring India, the MNP is a widely used tool to enhance consumer freedom, drive competition among mobile network operators and improve service quality.

India, for instance, processes millions of porting requests each month, thanks to robust regulatory backing and widespread public awareness initiatives.

But in Bangladesh, availing the service is nothing short of an ordeal. Take the case of Mizanur Rahman from Tangail. Fed up with poor network coverage in his new home, he urgently needed to switch operators in March. Despite following every required step, his attempt failed.

“I was told that my number had been inactive for over 90 days, which disqualified me. But the truth is, it was never inactive for even 24 hours. It’s pure fraud with customers,” said the private service holder.

The Daily Star spoke to a dozen mobile subscribers who reported the same issue: despite keeping their SIMs active and regularly recharged, their existing operators flagged the SIMs as inactive when porting requests were made by the lone MNP service provider, Infozillion, a joint venture between a local and a Dutch firm.

Despite following all prescribed steps, nearly 45 out of every 100 porting requests are rejected -- in contrast to the international best practice of rejection rate of less than 5 per cent -- according to Infozillion, compelling them to abandon their plan to switch operators altogether.

In the first month of its launch in October 2018, more than 44,000 subscribers successfully ported their numbers. Within eight months, the figure surpassed 111,000. By the end of its first year, upwards of 700,000 users had utilised the service.

However, it took another five and a half years to reach the next 700,000 mark. In May 2025, only 4,341 subscribers successfully ported their numbers.

When the service was introduced, customers were charged Tk 50 along with a 15 percent value-added tax (VAT) by the operators.

However, less than a year later, the National Board of Revenue imposed a SIM tax on MNP users, treating a porting request as equivalent to acquiring a new SIM card.

Globally, there is no SIM tax for switching operators as the subscriber retains their unique number.

The situation worsened when the government significantly increased the VAT and supplementary duty to Tk 200 starting in July 2019 for new SIMs.

In July 2024, the VAT and supplementary duty were hiked to Tk 300. As a result, the operators now charge Tk 400 to Tk 465 for porting a number.

In stark contrast, many countries offer MNP either completely free or at a nominal cost, highlighting how Bangladesh’s pricing structure has become a significant deterrent to a service originally designed to empower users.

What handicapped the MNP service further was the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission’s (BTRC) position on awareness campaigns.

Despite licensing directives that explicitly mandate both the BTRC and mobile operators to educate consumers through print, electronic and digital media, no meaningful campaign has been undertaken to inform the public.

But just a few days after issuing the licence, the regulator banned all promotional activities related to MNP.

This contradictory move not only undermined consumer rights but also stifled competition -- allowing poor service and market complacency to persist unchecked.

The obstacles go beyond awareness or affordability, said Md Mustafa Kamal, chief executive officer of Infozillion, which paid Tk 11.5 crore in 2017 along with a Tk 10 crore bank guarantee to obtain the MNP licence for 15 years.

The company has to pay a Tk 28 lakh yearly renewal fee and forward 5.5 percent of its revenue to the BTRC and 1 percent to the social obligation fund.

“Many subscribers face deliberate resistance. Operators frequently reject porting requests citing vague, sometimes non-compliant reasons.”

Exacerbating the issue, the MNP service is not readily available at most retail outlets, making it difficult for users to initiate the switch even when they are willing, he added.

The implementation of MNP in Bangladesh has deviated considerably from these global benchmarks, said Shahed Alam, chief corporate and regulatory officer of Robi Axiata.

Customers have encountered various obstacles, including unjustified rejections of porting requests, issues with one-time passwords (OTPs) and prolonged delays, all of which have undermined public trust in the service.

“Although a regulatory audit could have remedied the issue of unwarranted rejections, such an audit has not been conducted despite persistent advocacy.”

Moreover, mobile operators have been prohibited from actively promoting MNP, which has significantly limited public awareness and understanding of the service. 

To make matters worse, the imposition of SIM tax on ported numbers further discouraged users from availing this facility, he added.

The MNP service has not met the expectations it was launched with, said BTRC Chairman Md Emdad Ul Bari.

“MNP is a measure of competitiveness and we aim to promote it as a tool to enhance competition. However, we have realised that MNP alone cannot significantly increase competitiveness. Therefore, we are introducing a broader competitiveness initiative in the new guidelines, which will also help boost the MNP.”